Solanum viarum
Solanum nigrum
tropical soda apple
black nightshade, European black nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 3–6 cm;
blade simple, ovate to suborbiculate, 7–10(–20) × 6–8(–15) cm, margins coarsely lobed with 3–5 lobes per side, lobe margins entire to coarsely toothed, base truncate to cordate.
petiolate;
petiole 0.5–3 cm;
blade simple, ovate, 3.5–7 × 2.2–5 cm, margins entire to coarsely toothed with 3–5 lobes per side, base truncate to cuneate.
extra-axillary, sessile or nearly so, unbranched, 3–5-flowered.
extra-axillary, unbranched or occasionally forked, racemelike, (3–)4–10-flowered, 1–2 cm.
0.7–1.1 cm in flower, 1–2 cm in fruit.
0.5–1 cm, spreading to occasionally recurved in flower and fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx somewhat accrescent, unarmed or sparsely prickly, 3–4 mm, densely pubescent, lobes triangular;
corolla greenish or whitish, stellate, 1.5–2.5 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers narrow and tapered, 5.5–7(–10) mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;
ovary densely pubescent, hairs glandular and eglandular.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 1.5–2 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate, spreading to reflexed in fruit;
corolla white with yellowish central star, stellate, 1–1.5 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, (1.8–)2–2.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
light green mottled with dark green when young, yellow when ripe, globose, (1.5–)2–3 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
dull or slightly shiny purple-black or green to yellowish green, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
reddish brown, flattened, 2–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted.
yellow, flattened, 1.8–2 × 1.5–1.6 mm, minutely pitted.
= 24.
= 72.
Solanum viarum
Solanum nigrum
In the United States, Solanum viarum was first collected in Florida in 1988 and has subsequently become an aggressive and invasive species in the Southeast. It is on the Federal Noxious Weeds List and is classified as a noxious weed or plant pest in many states. Cattle and other animals eat the fruits and spread the seeds through their feces, and the seeds are coated with a sticky substance that makes them adhere to farm equipment when the plants are mowed. It can form large patches that are difficult to eradicate due to their extensive root systems and sharp prickles. It is a major agricultural pest and a threat to native ecosystems.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Many regional floras have used Solanum nigrum as the name for various species in the black nightshade group, and it can be difficult to distinguish this species from S. emulans and S. nigrescens. Solanum nigrum can be distinguished from the native North American species of the black nightshade group (S. americanum, S. douglasii, S. emulans, S. interius, S. nigrescens) by its thicker peduncles and pedicels, larger seeds, and fruits lacking sclerotic granules. Solanum nigrum was probably introduced from northern Europe and has been locally naturalized in North America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
LA Plants- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
